Background: The incidence rates of lip and oral cancer have continued to increase, and prognosis is associated with a country’s socioeconomic status. The mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) is a reasonable indicator of disparities in cancer screening and treatment. In this study, we aimed to understand the association between economic status and cancer prognosis. Methods: Data were obtained from the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The MIRs were compared to evaluate the correlation with the human development index (HDI), the current health expenditure (CHE), and the ratio of CHE over gross domestic product (CHE/GDP) disparities via Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Results: The results showed that Asia had the most cases and deaths. In addition, they showed a significant association (p < 0.001, p = 0.005, and p < 0.001, respectively) of the crude rate (CR) of incidence with the HDI, the CHE, and the CHE/GDP. However, their associations with mortality rate (p = 0.303, p = 0.997, and p = 0.101) were not significant. Regarding the correlation of the MIRs, the results revealed a significant association with the HDI, the CHE, and the CHE/GDP (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Countries with higher HDI, CHE per capita, and CHE/GDP tend to have lower MIRs, which indicates favorable clinical outcomes.

Background: The incidence rate of lip and oral cancer is increasing in recent years, the prognosis of which is associated with a country’s socioeconomic status. The mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) is a reasonable indicator of disparities in cancer screening and treatment. We aim to understand the association between economic status and cancer prognosis.Methods: Data were obtained from the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The MIR was applied to evaluate the correlation to healthcare expenditures and the human development index (HDI) disparities via Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.Results: The results showed that Asia has the most cases and deaths. The association of the HDI, current health expenditure (CHE), and ratio of CHE to the percentage of gross domestic product (CHE/GDP) to the crude rate (CR) of incidence show significant results (p<0.001, p=0.005, and p<0.001, respectively). However, their association with the mortality rate (p=0.303, p=0.997, and p=0.101) is not significant. In the correlation of the MIRs, the results revealed a significant association with the HDI, CHE, and CHE/GDP with the MIR (p<0.001, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively).Conclusion: Countries with a higher HDI, more CHE per capita, and higher CHE/GDP tend to have a lower MIR, which indicates a favorable clinical outcome.

Geographic and gender-specific disparity can be observed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). While screening and more effective therapies, such as induction chemotherapy, could improve survival rates, they are costly. This study aims to explore the correlation between healthcare expenditure and the mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) in NPC. Data were obtained from the World Health Organization and the Global Cancer Observatory. The correlation was evaluated by Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Most new cases and deaths occur in Asia, and more males are affected than females. Our study shows that countries with higher MIRs have lower levels of health expenditure regardless of the NPC’s gender-specific incidence. Correspondingly, MIRs are all significantly negatively associated with current health expenditure (CHE) per capita and CHE as a percentage of gross domestic product (CHE/GDP) in both genders. CHE per capita and CHE/GDP have a significant impact on NPC outcomes. Moreover, economic status is a potential major factor in MIR differences between countries.